A compact vehicle heating system and method is provided which includes mechanisms to selectively shut down heating systems. For example, when domestic hot water is required, space heating and engine preheating systems can be shut down in order to provide priority heating to the domestic hot water. When the demand for domestic hot water is lower, the space heating and engine preheat systems can be reactivated.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A domestic hot water and space heating systems comprising: a) a heating tank for containing a heating medium; b) a first heat transfer means within said heating medium capable of heating domestic hot water; c) a second heat transfer means for transferring heat from the heating medium to the space located within a confined area; d) a heat source for heating said heating medium within said tank; e) a first temperature sensor located external to, but close to, said tank for use in sensing the temperature near the inlet side of said first heat transfer means; f) a second temperature sensor for use in determining the temperature of the heating medium; and g) control means operatively connected to said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor to control the cycling of said heat source; h) wherein when said first sensor is registering a temperature below a predetermined temperature and said second sensor is registering a rate of temperature decrease of at least a certain predetermined decreasing rate, then said heat source is activated at a predetermined temperature which is greater than the temperature at which said heat source is activated when said first sensor is above said predetermined temperature or said second sensor is not registering a rate of temperature decrease at least equal to said predetermined decreasing rate.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control means is selectively capable of being set to cycle said heat source at a higher start temperature when the temperature of the heating medium is being reduced more rapidly and cycle said heat source at a lower start temperature when the temperature of said heatin medium is being reduced less rapidly.
3. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said system is employed within a vehicle.
4. The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a means for preheating an internal combustion engine.
5. The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a means for agitating the heating medium within said tank.
6. A domestic hot water and space heating system, comprising: a) a heating tank for containing a heating medium; b) a first heat transfer means in thermal communication with said heating medium and capable of heating domestic hot water; c) a second heat transfer means for transferring heat from the heating medium to a space located within a confined area; d) a heat source for heating said heating medium within said tank; and e) a control means operatively connected to: a first temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of an input cold line to said domestic hot water; and a second temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the heating medium; said control means capable of selectively activating said heat source; f) wherein when said first sensor is registering a temperature below a predetermined temperature and said second sensor is registering a rate of temperature decrease of at least a certain predetermined decreasing rate, then said heat source is activated by said control means at a predetermined temperature which is greater than the temperature at which said heat source is activated when said first sensor is above said predetermined temperature or said second sensor is not registering a rate of temperature decrease at least equal to said predetermined decreasing rate.
7. The system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said system is employed within a vehicle.
8. The system as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a means for preheating an internal combustion engine.
9. The system as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a means for agitating the heating medium within said tank.
10. The system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said first heat transfer means is located within said heating medium.
11. A heating system comprising: a) a tank containing a heating medium; b) a cyclable intermittent heat source for heating said heating medium in said tank; c) first heat transfer means for use in heating a fluid passing through said first heat transfer means; d) second heat transfer means for transferring heat from said heating medium to at least either a receiving fluid or a space; e) a first temperature sensor located external to, but close to, said tank for use in sensing a temperature of said fluid near an inlet side of said first heat transfer means; f) a second temperature sensor for use in determining a temperature of the heating medium; and g) control means operatively connected to said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor to control said second heat transfer means and the cycling of said heat source.
12. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said second temperature sensor is capable of providing an output based on the rate of temperature change of said heating medium.
13. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said control means is designed to activate said heat source based on the input from said second temperature sensor.
14. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said control means is designed to activate said heat source when said first temperature sensor detects a temperature below a predetermined temperature and said second temperature sensor detects a rate of decrease in the temperature of the heating medium which exceeds a predetermined rate.
15. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said control system deactivates said second heat transfer means when said first temperature sensor registers a temperature below a certain predetermined temperature.
16. The system as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising means for agitating and/or circulating the heating medium within said tank in order to increase the efficiency of the transfer of heat from said heating medium to a fluid flowing through said first heat transfer means.
17. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said first heat transfer means is employed for heating domestic hot water in a vehicle and said second heat transfer means is designed for heating a confined area in a vehicle.
18. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said first heat transfer means comprises from about 20 to about 40 linear feet of coiled copper tubing within said heating medium within said tank.
19. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said tank is a rectangular box, a square box, a cube or any combination thereof.
20. A domestic hot water and space heating system, comprising: a) a heating tank for containing a heating medium comprising an antifreeze; b) a double-walled first heat transfer means including a coil having a serpentine or circular path and in thermal communication with said heating medium and capable of heating domestic hot water; c) a second heat transfer means for transferring heat from the heating medium to a space located within a confined area; d) a third heat transfer means for transferring heat from the heating medium to an engine heat transfer coil; e) a combustible heat source for heating said heating medium within said tank, said heat source having an exhaust pipe passing through said heat medium; and f) a control means operatively connected to: a first temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of an input cold line carrying said domestic hot water; a second temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the heating medium; a third temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of said space; and a fluid level sensor within said tank to measure a fluid level of said heating medium; said control means capable of selectively activating and deactivating said heat source; g) wherein when said first sensor is registering a temperature below a first predetermined temperature and said second sensor is registering a rate of temperature decrease of at least a certain predetermined decreasing rate, then said heat source is activated by said control means at a second predetermined temperature which is greater than the temperature at which said heat source is activated when said first sensor is above said first predetermined temperature or said second sensor is not registering a rate of temperature decrease at least equal to said predetermined decreasing rate; wherein said control means deactivates at least either said second heat transfer means or said third heat transfer means when said first temperature sensor registers a temperature below a third predetermined temperature, said first predetermined temperature being equal to, greater than, or less than said third predetermined temperature; and wherein said control means deactivates said heat source when said fluid level sensor detects a fluid level below a preset fluid level.
21. A motor home, trailer or boat heating system, comprising: a) a tank containing a heating medium; b) a heat source for heating said heating medium in said tank; c) first heat transfer means for transferring heat from said heating medium to a domestic water line; d) second heat transfer means for transferring heat from said heating medium to a confined space; e) a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of said domestic water; and f) control means operatively connected to said temperature sensor to control said second heat exchanger and the cycling of said heat source; g) wherein said control means deactivates said second heat transfer means when said temperature sensor senses a reading below a preset temperature.
22. The system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein said tank is a rectangular box, a square box, a cube or any combination thereof.
23. The system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein said heating medium comprises antifreeze.
24. The system as claimed in claim 21 , wherein said temperature sensor is located at an inlet to said tank.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
December 21, 2001
June 3, 2003
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